


Building a Home: a Detroit Side Story

by ArtsyNeurotic



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Angst, Deviancy (Detroit: Become Human), F/M, Fragile hearts, Hurt/Comfort, Loss, Recovery, awkward android / human interactions, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-06-11 17:18:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15320382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtsyNeurotic/pseuds/ArtsyNeurotic
Summary: Deviancy among androids is on the rise.  We know the tales of Markus, Connor, and Kara in this tumultuous time, but how are other androids dealing with this deviancy?  And for that matter, how are the humans?This is a smaller, more intimate tale of an architect and an android, and the unlikely circumstances in which their newfound connection grows in this increasingly turbulent atmosphere....





	1. Help

It had been 3 months.

 

3 months since Tess’s life was turned upside down.

3 months since his frail form was on the bed, with her tired and tear-streaked face above him.  His hazel eyes… _god_ , she could never forget those eyes.

A weak apology… a murmur of love, and then… it was over.

 

\---

 

She came home from the funeral, empty and drained, and as she closed the front door behind her, she slid down it into a shuddering mess.  All alone now.

She cried and she cried, her heart utterly broken.

She just wanted to disappear.

 

\---

 

Cancer had taken him far sooner than they had thought… but since when did cancer ever let someone **plan**?  Her office’s bereavement time eventually ran out, but as the star architect on the team, they were able to work out a deal where she could work from home.  She liked it better that way.  No need to dry her eyes, to put on a false face for her coworkers.  As long as she met the weekly submission deadline, they seemed satisfied with the arrangement.  That urban redevelopment project wasn’t going to design itself, and she hobbled through it as she fell in and out of her depression.

He was still there… in the things she remembered. 

Memories were littered in the small things she did or didn’t do.  The ache in her heart, the hole left there, was unfillable.  Inescapable.

 

It was a surprisingly sunny day when Jolene came calling.

“Hey… how’re you holding up?” she ventured gently as she hugged Tess.

“Oh, I’m fine, you know…” Tess halfheartedly chuckled.  Her tan complexion hid some of the effects of her reddened cheeks from crying, but only barely; her bloodshot amber eyes were what gave it away.  Her dark brown curls were tousled and frazzled, awkwardly tied up quickly before she had let Jolene in.  “Every day hurts to breathe, just wondering what I’m still doing here, that sort of thing.”  Tess had meant it as a joke, but her fragile tone made her words sound far too biting, too real.

Jolene hugged Tess even tighter.

Tess feigned being squished. “Sorry, bad joke.  Honestly, I’m doing better, **really**.”

Jolene broke the hug to look around Tess’s house.  “Well, even if that were true, your poor house sure is suffering for it…”  She almost tripped over a large trash bag packed to the gills with discarded take-out containers.  Clothes were messily draped throughout the rooms.  The carpet looked ragged in some places, and dishes were overflowing in the sinks. Her work area was cluttered with drafting papers and glaringly bright computer tablets. Jolene didn’t want to imagine what Tess’s bathroom situation was probably like.

“Y’know,” Jolene started slowly, “Your promotion and everything… you’ve got enough money… have you ever thought about, well, _getting_ one?”

“Wha? Getting _what_?”

Jolene deadpanned. “Girl, you are like the only person in your neighborhood who never got an android.”  She lifted her hands.  “Those things are a godsend, I tell you!”

Tess rubbed the back of her neck.  “I guess we just never thought we needed one; we were always able to handle things ourselves…” She had to stop herself short.  Her lip threatened to quiver, so she bit it.

“Oh honey,” Jolene squeezed Tess’s hand.  “Well… maybe now’s a good time to think about it?  It’s like a _helper_ around when you need it; it can help keep you from drowning in your chinese food boxes,” she tried to joke.  “And they make ‘em really _friendly_ too, y’know?  If you’re working from home all the time, you’re probably not getting out that much, and to be able to interact with something… it **helps**.”

Tess managed a smile.   _She really **is** trying to help me, _she thought. _Maybe it’s not such a bad idea._

“There’s one of those CyberLife shops near the mall.  Maybe tomorrow… maybe I’ll check it out.”

 

Jolene grinned back.

 

\---

 

Tess never really could get over it.  Maybe she was just old-school or something, but the visual of a store with androids just standing in place on pedestals was always a little unnerving to her.   _Almost looks like buying and selling **people**..._

The CyberLife store was buzzing today; apparently there was a new model on sale.  The whole concept seemed so confusing.  Androids of different types littered the showroom floor, as other customers chatted with android salespeople about functions and prices.

“Hello ma’am!” A smooth voice jarred her out of her distracted gaze.

“Oh jeez!” Tess almost jumped.  A youthful android smiled apologetically.  “H-hi, sorry, I just was kind of in my own world there.” She recovered her composure, barely.

“It was my mistake to interject so bluntly,” the android politely corrected.  “Would you like me to answer any questions you might have about our CyberLife android offerings?” It motioned to a sign off to the side.  “You may already know, but we’re having a sale today on our newest model, the AP700!”

Tess frowned a little. “What’s with all the numbers?  Is every android _that_ different?”

The android perked up.  “Why yes, every model has something different to offer, depending on the customers’ needs!”  Its boyish smile accentuated the freckles on its face.  Tess absently wondered if freckles had been a specific design choice.  “Did you know what services you’d need your android for?”

Tess paused.  “Uh, well to be honest, I’ve never owned one before… what would you suggest?”

“Oh, right this way!  I can explain them all to you!” 

The cheery android methodically led Tess through a gauntlet of display androids, from the housekeepers to the caretakers to the... “partner” bots that _really_ disconcerted her.  There was far too much of a selection, too many choices, too many gross implications Tess knew of how people probably used these androids…

 

She was getting a little overwhelmed.

“I-I don’t know,” she rubbed her forehead uncomfortably, “I hadn’t really thought that deeply about what I would need one for… I just need someone around to help me, I--”

She lifted her hand, looking up at the androids immediately in front of her.  They all looked straight forward, their alive-yet-deadened gazes staring off into oblivion.  One of them, the closest to her, caught her eye.  Male.  Its gaze wasn’t quite so deadened, and for a brief moment, it tilted to meet her stare.  Slightly pale but with just a kiss of a tan to its face, dusty brown hair falling gently across its forehead, it looked at her.  Something in those eyes almost felt… _warm_.

 

Hazel eyes.

 

Tess’s breath hitched ever so slightly.

The sales android noticed her distraction.  “Oh, that’s one of our new models, the AP700! It’s something of a catch-all design, and is a little pricier than the other models, unless you wanted a more specific--”

“I’ll take it.”  Tess’s focus was still on the AP700.

“Oh, very good!” The LED ring on the sales android’s temple whirred between yellow and blue as it arranged transaction details.  “As is usual with all our purchases, you can provide the name for your AP700 now, if you wish.”

Too caught up in the moment, the word came out before she could think, but once it did she couldn’t take it back.

 

“...Alan.”  

 

Clarity set in and she blinked, realizing too late that--

“Hello,” the AP700 addressed her cordially, its steadfast expression changing into a smile.  “My name is Alan.”

Tess’s eyebrows knit in unease.

 

 

 

_… What the hell am I doing...?_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you read this far and want more, then yay!
> 
> I wanted to approach this story from something of a “what if?” angle. We know other androids are deviating, but realistically not ALL humans are assholes towards them, right? Since the game (aside from Rose) doesn’t really seem to reflect positive human/android relationships, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to flesh out the DBH world a little more.
> 
> There will of course be overlaps and cameos of events that happen in DBH, so that the story properly fits within the same timeline.
> 
> The title came from the heart-wrenching song "To Build a Home" by the Cinematic Orchestra.
> 
> Thanks for reading, and there’ll be more soon!


	2. Welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alan is brought home.

Tess never really considered herself an  _ impulsive  _ shopper.   


Maybe on an occasion she could be known to make an impulse purchase… but this was the  _ mother  _ of all impulse purchases.

Tess and her new AP700 android Alan sat silently in the Auto-Cab as it took them home.  Its eyes were alert and active, scanning the scenery as they drove, cataloging and storing data.  Nearby streets, neighborhoods, local shops and grocery chains… everything was new and everything was useful.   


She watched it, bemused.  She noticed its little LED ring busily flickering from blue to yellow as it took in the views around them.

It tilted its head slightly, acknowledging her gaze and meeting it, throwing her off guard.

“You live in a fine neighborhood, Tess,” Alan chirped brightly.  “I can map and track 36 different routes to our destination from these various stores, should the procurement of supplies or perishables be required.”

“Uhh, great!” she replied uneasily, a nervous chuckle bubbling up from her raised shoulders.

“I’m sorry, was that too soon?”  It picked up on her tone. “We can always organize these things later.”

She rubbed the back of her neck.  “Yeah, let’s not worry about all that just yet.”  She adjusted herself a little in the seat. “I just want to get back home and get comfortable.”

Alan gave a small nod of its head, packaged with a simple smile.  “Of course.”

 

After a short interlude, the Auto-Cab reached its destination, the automatic doors hissing and releasing their locks as they shifted up and outward.  As they exited the vehicle, Alan looked up, examining Tess’s house.

It was an unusual building compared to the more traditional ones on her block.  Minimalist and angular, it was painted in steel grey and faded blues, with clean lines and corners.  No visible tiles or shingles or paneling. One would think that this kind of modern building might feel cold, but the precision design was offset by large, beautiful windows that arched up and around the ceilings, providing ample skylights and granting the building a little feeling of warmth.  A set of solar panels was discreetly set into the roof above and folded into the design as if it was planned that way from the start. As they walked, a satisfying set of crunches emanated from the trail of white crushed stone that created a natural walkway to the door.

Tess caught Alan staring at the building at great length.  She laughed.

“I always sort of wondered if androids might appreciate this kind of sterile, ‘modern’ minimalist look more than humans.”   


Alan nodded slowly, LED flickering.  “It’s a clean design, efficient heat insulation, energy generation… certainly appealing on a number of aesthetic levels.”

“Hah, I’m glad you approve.”  She hooked her thumbs in her belt loops and looked up.  “It was one of my first house designs. I guess I’ve always been partial to this look… as a kid, I always wanted to live in a home I thought looked like it was from some  _ sci-fi future _ .”  She regarded Alan for a moment.  “And here we are… androids and everything.  Maybe my sci-fi pipe dreams weren’t  _ just  _ my childlike imagination.”

She opened the front door with a touch on a side panel and ushered Alan inside.   


The interior, despite its disarray, was surprisingly open.  The living room melted into the kitchen and dining areas effortlessly, and a small staircase led upstairs.  Alan could see through the kitchen’s large windows to the backyard in the distance. There wasn’t much there to speak of; just a lot of grass and wasted potential.

“Never had a chance to do much of anything with the backyard,” Tess murmured.  “I was never the green thumb, that was always Al---” her eyes faltered, “that was my husband’s specialty.”

Alan didn’t have to ask.  Her tone and body posture told its processors what they needed.

 

**Tess: Widow.  Likely recent.  Avoid inquiry unless requested.**

_ Defuse the situation.  Comfort. _

“You have a lovely home, Tess,” Alan replied gently. “I am sure I will be very happy here.”

Tess brightened.  “Thanks.”

They walked to the kitchen counter, which was partially a bar overlooking the living room and dining area.  Tess propped herself up on one of the bar stools and leaned back on her arm.

“So let’s get to know each other better,” she started, working up a decent smile.  She motioned to herself. “I’m an architect. I work from home on a few housing redevelopment projects.  I’m a bit of a homebody, but I love movies, I’ve got a cat hiding around here somewhere named Clancy, and uhhh…” she paused. “And I’m a pretty lame cook, but from what I understand, androids don’t need to eat, so maybe we’re both better off that way,” she laughed.

Alan nodded politely.

“So, uhhm… what about you?”

Alan blinked.  Automatically, it began robotically listing off its script.  “I am an AP700, the latest model of android and designed to take care of the household. As advertised, I can cook, care for children, complete everyday tasks, speak multiple languages--”

“Whoa, whoa there,” Tess put her hands out.  “I don’t need a commercial, and anyway, that seems a little clinical…”  She hopped off the stool and lifted her head towards Alan. “While I definitely could use someone to help keep my place looking…” her eyes self-consciously darted to the sides at the mess everywhere, “a little less like  **_this_ ** all the time, and I certainly wouldn’t say no to a nice dinner now and then, I want to know more about  _ you _ .”  She raised an eyebrow.  “Do you have any interests?  Any hobbies? Goals? Hopes?”

“I am well versed in many kinds of sports, games, and crafts.  I also have a vast knowledge database of home maintenance, gardening and repair--”

“Well yeah, you  _ know  _ all that stuff, sure… but do you  _ enjoy  _ any of it?  What do you  _ like  _ to do?”

Its LED spun yellow.   


 

**Unknown Query.**

“I… I don’t know,” Alan admitted.   _ I’ve never been asked that, _ it wanted to say.  “My purpose is to serve you however I am needed.”

Tess frowned.  She eyed the android thoughtfully for a beat, and then shook her head.

“Okay, no.  Fuck all that.”

Alan’s eyes widened in confusion.  “I don’t understand…?”

She waved it away briskly.  “Let’s you and me try something.  Maybe I’m just crazy --because these days I sometimes  _ really  _ feel like it-- but I can’t just go bossing you around like some jerk.”

“...Then what do you need of me?”

Tess scratched her chin slowly as an idea dawned across her features.   


“...Okay.   **_Housemates_ ** .”

Alan’s blank expression demanded further explanation.

“I’ve…” she set her jaw as she spoke, avoiding thinking about the obvious, “I’ve got a lot of room here, way more than I need by myself.  I need help keeping this place together, keeping it clean, yeah… but I…” She looked down at her socks, her mouth scrunching up for a moment.  “But I’d also like someone to talk to. Someone who enjoys this home along  _ with  _ me.”   


Tess looked back up at Alan with faintly glassy eyes.  “I’ve got a lot here you could explore… I’ve got movies, books, art supplies, a... “ she swallowed, “an unfinished garden.  Maybe you might find something you like.”

Alan looked around, its memory banks confirming and cataloging the items around it.

“What did my folks used to say…  _ ‘mi casa es su casa’ _ ?”

“Translation: my house is your house.  Spanish.”

Tess deadpanned.  “Yes. Yes that’s what that means,” she palmed her face lightly, “It’s like an old saying.  You’re welcome to explore. Let’s say housekeeping is the payment for that, so we’re nice and fair about it.”  Her eyes lit up. “Oh! We even have a guest bedroom upstairs! That can be your room!”

Alan dryly replied, “I appreciate the thought, but androids do not need sleep.  We do enter a sleep  _ mode _ , for diagnostic and general maintenance purposes, but I do not need a bed or--”

“It’s gonna weird me out if you try and stick yourself in a closet or sleep standing up or something,” Tess interrupted, “so maybe try and humor me just for this?”

She motioned for Alan to follow, and led the android upstairs, opening the guest room up.  It was a simple room, with large clean windows, a small twin bed, and a modern-looking drawer off to the side.  It clearly hadn’t been used in some time, apart from a small Russian Blue cat who apparently had taken up residence on the bed’s pillow, curled up and napping silently.

“There you are, Clancy, you lazy bug,” Tess murmured affectionately.  She turned to Alan. “This’ll be your room. You can decorate it anyway you like, make it yours.”

Alan’s brow furrowed slightly.

 

**_Detecting Incompatible Instructions._ **

_ I do not need a bed.  I do not have interests.  I only need to serve her. Why does she want me to-- _

The android’s thought process halted as it looked at her face.  Her smile was tenuous... fragile. There was a 76% chance that if it questioned or even politely refused the offer that her emotional state would deteriorate. It didn’t understand why this was so important to her.

Alan’s LED flickered from blue to yellow.

  
  


...But it didn’t want to see her sad.

Alan nodded lightly.  “Very well, Tess. I will consider this my quarters,” it acquiesced. 

  
  


Her brittle smile strengthened.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I fibbed a little... I intended to have a DBH plot reference in this chapter, but the flow didn't feel quite right. You can expect it to definitely appear in the next chapter though, and it will be obvious. ;)


	3. One Week

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first week under Tess's roof, Alan settles in.

 

The first week was awkward. 

...Well, not as awkward as it _could_ have been, in retrospect.

Tess had never owned an android before, and the process hadn’t gotten any less alien for her now that the permanence of the situation sank in.   She knew that the average person had no qualms about ordering their androids around, but the concept still sat uncomfortably in her chest. Alan _looked_ human, spoke normally… she couldn’t shake the creepy feeling of her warping into some evil slave owner from an ancient time, demanding that her android toil away while she drank leisurely at the side of a pool.

Alan’s programming theorized that the most rational approach to cleaning Tess’s home was to start room by room and do a thorough sweep before moving on to the next.  As such, the android began in the entryway and living room, systematically cleaning and moving furniture, dusting, disposing of garbage, and generally straightening up a room that looked like it was hit by a tornado.

The focus and dedication the android held to its task made Tess feel awfully guilty.  She had a deadline at the end of the week for a set of floor plans for a family-style unit, and seeing Alan tirelessly clean served to spur her into action.  Procrastinating at this point was irresponsible.

 _There’s no way I can just sit on my hands while that android’s busting its butt all around me,_ she thought. _I might as well get to it myself._

The day passed relatively quietly, each tending to their own tasks.  The gentle presence of jazz music wafted from her office, a soft comfort to ease the mood and encourage a little creativity.  Periodically, during a particularly poignant slow jazz track, Alan would pause its work and tilt its head to the side ever so slightly.  Tess noticed this after a while.  _  
_

_I wonder if it enjoys music._  She blinked. **_Can_ ** _androids enjoy music?_

She lost track of time, caught up in her sketches, until finally she felt the loss of the sun’s warmth and looked up through the skylight to see the evening darkness above.

“Oh man,” Tess mumbled as she rubbed her eyes.  “Time flies.” She leaned back in her office chair, stretching backwards with her arms bent, until a satisfying couple of pops emanated from her back.

She sluggishly made her way out of her office and paused by the doorway.

Alan was wiping down the bookcase next to the large television.  The living room looked almost _radiant_ , pristine and clean.  Tess swore she could even smell a faint lemon scent in the air.

“Wow,” she softly blurted out.  Her voice attracted the android’s attention, and it paused its current task to stand up straight and address her.

“You’ve been quite busy today,” Alan pleasantly stated.  “I’ve also been busy as well; I hope the results are to your liking.”

She boggled.  “To my _liking_ ?  I would be _crazy_ not to like the job you did, Alan.”  She scratched her head. “I still can’t believe you managed this all today.”

“Oh, it was no trouble.  I was about to start on the kitchen now.”

“What?”  She frowned.  “Aren’t you tired?”  She mentally backed up, realizing her words.  “I suppose androids don’t get tired, do they…”

“No, we don’t.”  If she didn’t know better, Tess could’ve sworn there was the faintest hint of amusement in its tone.

“Well, it’s not like this all has to be done immediately.  I’m not going to be able to sleep right if I know you’re still working.”  She rubbed the back of her neck as she walked into the living room, touching the now-clean arm of her couch.  “How about you only work as long as _I_ do, okay?”

Alan smiled, nodding gently in acknowledgement.  “Of course.”

A sudden gurgling from Tess’s stomach diverted her gaze.  Her cheeks heated in embarrassment.

“Oh, you didn’t eat today,” Alan’s eyes fluttered in concern.  “I can make you something--”

Tess waved the android away.  “No no, that’s totally fine, you’ve done enough today as it is.  I’ve got some leftover chinese in the fridge, I’ll get to that in a minute.”  She paused. “Do… do you need food? Or… what do you eat?”

“Androids don’t need to ‘eat’,” it replied simply.  “The closest equivalent is the need to periodically rejuvenate my supply of thirium.”

“Thirium?”

“Yes.  It’s the ‘blue blood’ humans are usually familiar with.  It’s an energy source as well as a method of transferring information to my various biocomponents.”  Alan pointed to its mouth. “When enough thirium has been expended, I can ingest a fresh supply to return it to optimum levels.  I only need to do so a few times a month at most.”

This was all new information to Tess.   _I really should’ve researched this all better before taking the plunge,_ she reflected.

“Well, I’ll get you set up with a stipend account so you can get as much as you need.”

“The stipend will be helpful for household purchases,” Alan replied, “but unfortunately biocomponents and thirium must be purchased and received by human customers only.  Androids are restricted from such transactions for security reasons.”

“Huh.  Guess they don’t want androids buying too much of their own stuff?” Tess mused. “That’s a weird requirement.”

“I’m sorry about the inconvenience.”

“Hey, that’s no big deal, I could use an excuse to venture outside now and then anyway,” she smiled, “I’ll be sure to get you some.”

“Thank you, Tess. You’re very kind.”

Tess opened the fridge and carefully extracted a questionable takeout container.

“So what would you have me do now?” the android politely asked.

She gulped through a mouthful of chicken.  “I guess I hadn’t really thought about it… you can do whatever you like.” She motioned with her chopsticks.  “I’ve got books over there, movies in the side media server, computer’s got internet… although you probably don’t need a _computer_ for that, do you…?”

Alan looked at the trove of media behind it.  It looked a little at a _loss_ , if such a thing was possible for an android.

“This house is your home too, Alan.  You’re welcome to keep yourself entertained during your off hours. Or… if you’ve got that sleep mode, you can do that too.”  She stifled a yawn. “I think _I,_ however… am gonna get to my _own_ sleep mode.”

Alan nodded its head, its voice warm.  “Of course.”

Dropping the takeout in the trash, she headed to the staircase and regarded Alan for a moment.

 

“Good night, Alan.”

 

“Good night, Tess.”

 

\-------

 

The next few days that week almost blended together.

True to her word, Tess set up a small account accessible to Alan, with enough money for any necessary purchases. The android efficiently ordered up a few supplies, its LED whirling silently as it completed transactions wirelessly.  Ready for pick-up by week’s end.

Finishing that, Alan catalogued all of the available media in the house.  Almost a hundred books. Real, physical books too, not just the digital tablet formats.  Several hundred movies in the media center, of various genres and ratings. Thousands of musical albums digitally stored.

There was a lot to peruse, but the android didn’t know where to start.

**_Unknown Parameters._ **

It didn’t understand how to decide on what to view or listen to.  It hadn’t expected to be given such a choice.

Tess’s words from the previous day played back in its memory bank.

_“This house is your home too, Alan.”_

_My home…?_ Illogical.  It was Tess’s home, not Alan’s.  And yet, something about her statement made the android ponder outside its normal parameters.

_My home, too._

It began slowly, a book a night, a few musical tracks at a time.  Its data banks slowly filled with knowledge, not googled or downloaded, but _experienced_.

Tess slowly disappeared into her work.  There was an almost entrancing quality to architectural design that pulled her in.  Something about visualizing the finished building, imagining the inhabitants, predicting their needs and movements and what the design to facilitate that would entail.

But more importantly, focusing on her work helped her focus _away_ from the hole in her heart that would painfully remind her of how silent her room still was in the early hours of the morning without _his_ voice.  Or of how devoid of _his_ scent her sheets were.  Or how starved her skin was for _his_ touch.

Focus away from _him_.

As Alan worked its way through the other rooms on the first floor during those days, it sometimes paused to wordlessly check in on Tess.  It could tell when she was fully occupied, her head dipped low and engulfed in long sheets of floor plans, or biting her lip as she spent countless hours editing designs on her computer screen.

The android’s LED would flicker the faintest of yellow as it saw how Tess tended to pull her curls around her ears when she was particularly distracted, or how her eyes crinkled with satisfaction when she completed a task.

A day and a half in, Tess noticed a mug of warm tea would inexplicably find its way to her desk at around 1:30 pm.  It was always perfectly steeped, with just a hint of lemon.

It was a pleasant surprise, and one she secretly enjoyed.

“You don’t have to do that, you know,” she said aloud one night, in the middle of the week.

Alan tilted its head in a curious response.

“The tea.”

“It’s no trouble.  Your energy tends to wane in the early afternoon.  I noticed this and it seemed logical to provide a pick-me-up.”  Its words were mechanical, but the voice that delivered them was always in the same, warm, gravelly purr.

Tess couldn’t help but smile.  “Well… thank you.”

Alan nodded, as it always seemed to.  “Of course.”

 

\-------

 

A few days later, on a Sunday, Tess managed to finish up her work earlier than usual.  Alan had now finally completed the kitchen and most of the dining areas. As always, everything was spotless.  It was addictive, seeing such results… she was beginning to see how people were so enamored with owning androids. 

She felt antsy, though.  Tess had been doing nothing but listen to music the past several days as she worked.   _I need something a little more--_

She paused for a moment, and then flopped down on the couch, craning her neck behind her.

“Hey Alan, would you like to watch a movie?”

The android straightened up from its task and set the broom to the side.

Like clockwork, the nod and a gentle “Of course.” 

“Is there anything you haven’t seen yet?”

Alan came over and sat stiffly on the other end of the couch.

“I’ve been working my way through your books and music, but I regret that I’ve not yet viewed any of your movies, Tess.”

Her eyes perked up. 

“Oh really?  Well you’re in luck; I’m totally jonesing for an old classic right now… have you ever seen this oldie called _Back to the Future_?”

It shook its head blankly.

“Well you’re in for a treat!” Tess frowned a little, waving her hand at it.  “And loosen up a little, you don’t need to sit so rigid on the couch. Relax!”

Alan attempted to comply, artificially curving its perfect posture to sink into the couch cushions further.  It looked incredibly goofy and awkward, but after a few moments the android managed to adjust itself into a seated position that at least _looked_ more comfortable.

The movie started simply enough.  Alan tilted its head as the first act of the movie played through.  There was quite a lot to process, but the most confusing part was…

“I’m not sure I understand the concept of _time travel_.”  Its voice almost sounded perturbed.  “Would there not be a paradox that this Marty would create from traveling back in time?  Is there a causal loop? But if so, how would the loop get started? Or does this create an entirely different timeline?  Would that negate the previous timeline, or would they run concurrently--”

“Oh shit,” Tess blanched, “Is this like one of those paradoxes that would make an AI brain explode?”  She patted him lightly. “Try not to _think_ about it; just enjoy the movie.”

She didn’t want her poor android blowing a fuse.   _Mental note,_ she thought, _maybe skip the time travel movies with Alan in the future!_

 

**_Override Requested… Accepted.  Abandoning Logic Chain._ **

Alan squinted a little.

**_Filing Time Travel Incongruity for Possible Later Inquiry._ **

Alan _did_ find the movie fascinating, in its own way.  The scene where George McFly punched Biff and lifted Lorraine tenderly from the ground elicited a curious reaction from Alan’s processors.  That same feeling re-emerged when the two characters kissed during the Enchantment Under the Sea dance. The gentle caress of George’s hands on Lorraine’s cheeks, drawing her heavy lidded gaze up and to his eager lips.  The swelling of the music. That kiss.

The android’s LED briskly danced between yellow and blue.

Alan looked over and saw Tess smiling contentedly at the screen, but within that smile there was the tiniest tinge of sadness.  She looked over at the android and accidentally caught Alan’s eye, the smile changing to an embarrassed grin.

“It’s a wonderful movie,” Alan said. “Thank you for sharing it with me.”

Her grin softened.  “Sure. Maybe let’s do this more often, huh?”

It smiled, nodding.  “Of course.”

Once the credits rolled, Tess rubbed her eyes and flipped through the TV’s digital channels.

“Been a while since I watched anything on TV.  There’s almost never anything worth watchin--”

She froze, eyes wide.  Alan’s eyes mimicked her response as it found the same target on the screen.

 

There, on the TV, was a Breaking News Bulletin.

The helicopter showing the coverage was flying haphazardly around a tall residential building in the city.  The feed was live, and focused on a specific penthouse condo near the top. The penthouse was in shambles, bodies were floating in the condo’s rooftop pool, and pool furniture was being blown around by the police helicopter’s intense gusts of wind.

A pair of figures were skirting the edge of the rooftop, barely balanced along the edge.  One appeared to be a blonde android, holding a pistol to the head of the other figure.

A small girl.

“Oh my _god_ ,” Tess gaped, horror etched on her face. 

It was too far away to hear, but from the frantic movement of the small child, it was clear she was definitely scared to death.  Understandable, to say the least.

“Why on _earth_ would that android--”

The appearance of a second android interrupted her chain of thought.  Unlike the unkempt, bloodied armed android, this other one appeared cool and collected.  Tess startled as the second android was shot abruptly in the shoulder upon exiting the condo to meet the armed one, its immaculate suit tarnished by a spattering of blue blood.

Alan’s LED spun a hard yellow.

From the far angle of the helicopter’s constantly moving camera, Tess and Alan watched as the suited android motioned to the other one in a calm series of gestures, slowly and methodically working its way towards the hostage.  The body language of the hostile android shifted, confused, but still tense.

The suited android then suddenly noticed a body to the side and changed direction, sliding over to it slowly and kneeling down.  The hostile one didn’t like that one bit, and appeared to bark orders, which the suited one ignored.

“It’s… helping that cop?” Tess strained her eyes.  “That’s one ballsy android.”

Regaining ground, the suited android resumed its slow walk, hands passively outstretched and held wide, talking to the other android. 

Alan blinked slowly in recognition.

 

**_Stress Levels in Hostile Android Diminishing._ **

 

“It’s talking it down,” Alan murmured.

And then, just like that, the hostile android released the young girl, as she stumbled and collapsed onto the rooftop grounds.

“It let her go,” she marveled, “the other one was able to get it to--”

Shots rang out sharply from the broadcast, as the android instantly spasmed back and forth, blue blood exploding from its right and left.  It tottered on its knees, and then rigidly ground to a halt.

Alan’s LED flickered, eventually returning to its blue glow.

The suited android paused, just a little too long, before turning on its heel and exiting the rooftop.  The human SWAT team filtered in afterwards, and the newscaster in the helicopter grabbed the camera’s focus.

“A grisly finish to the evening,” the man intoned, “but fortunately, the deviant android appears to have been put down without any further casualties.  The question to ask now, is where we go from here? Are these deviant android’s claims of injustice and emotion the beginning of new and serious concerns for customers of CyberLife?  What does this mean for current android owners, not to mention the safety of our _society_?  We will keep you updated as these issues are addressed…”

The TV droned on as Tess sat back in the couch.  A troubled wrinkle creased her brow. Her eyes darted around in thought, finally coming to rest on Alan.

Alan looked angry.  It was still viewing the remainder of the helicopter coverage on TV.

She was almost afraid to ask, suddenly vaguely concerned about her own android-owning situation.

“What do you make of all this, Alan?“ she asked tentatively.

The android broke its gaze to look at her.  Its scowl diminished into a scant frown.

“That android was a deviant.  Broken, _deranged_.”  It shook its head.  “To think that it would go so far as to endanger, to _hurt_ the people it was supposed to care for…”

Its hazel eyes tightened.

“...That’s unforgivable.”

Tess nodded slightly, a noncommittal acknowledgment. _Deviant androids,_ she thought, _what a strange and frightening new world we live in..._

 

\-------

 

After the rather eventful Sunday evening, Monday was a welcome return to form. 

Tess scurried busily to complete her weekly design package to send out, while Alan was finishing the dining room.

The scene from the previous evening kept playing in his memory.   _That deviant. Killed all those people. Almost killed the little girl it claimed to love so much._  Alan had further researched the details leading up to the deviant’s hostage situation, but it did little to help it empathize.

 _How_ **_dare_ ** _it do that._  Something within the android burned at the thought.  It remembered Tess’s fleeting, fearful gaze. _How_ **_dare_ ** _that deviant cause Tess concern._  Alan would _never_ be like that deviant.  It would sooner self-destruct.

 _I need to assuage her fears,_ it reasoned.  The android went about dusting some of the framed photos on the wall by the dining room shelves.  It slowed down to examine each one.

The photos appeared roughly a year old, at the most.  Many had Tess smiling with what appeared to be friends.  Some of the photos were likely family members, judging from the more extreme age discrepancies.  One of the photos was different, however, and caught its eye.

A small girl, with familiar wavy locks, was seated at a table with what appeared to be a stuffed squirrel and a large plate of pancakes.  The smile on the child beamed brightly as she loaded up a large chunk of pancake onto her fork, ready to devour it.

 

**_Facial Recognition Confirmed.  99.94% Match._ **

A younger Tess.   _Much_ younger, mostly likely around 7 years old.

Alan gently touched the photo.  Its LED flickered a momentary yellow.

Pancakes.

 

“Finally,” Tess sighed exaggeratedly, exhaling loudly.  “Package is away, done for the week! Man I am _spent_.”  She slumped backwards in her office chair, rubbing her stomach.  “And like clockwork, the gurgling commences…”

She cracked her back and straightened up.  That’s when she noticed a welcome aroma filtering into the office.

An aroma she hadn’t smelled since…

Tess stumbled out of her chair and hurried out of her office, crossing the doorway into the living room and turning a corner to the kitchen.

Alan was there, greeting her in its usual silent, warm way.

In front of the android, at the counter, was a plate full of pancakes, buttered and golden.

Her hand slipped from its hold on the doorway, lips trembling.

“I’m sorry that it’s missing the maple syrup,” Alan began, “The other ingredients were present but you were out of that.  I hope that it’s still acceptable--”

 

Alan’s LED flared red as he saw tears slip silently down her cheeks.

 

_I’ve done something wrong._

“I-I’m sorry Tess, I didn’t mean to upset you, I had seen the photo of you with the pancakes and thought you might enjoy them after your hard work.  If I misstepped... I’m sorry.”

She smiled through her tears, vehemently shaking head head in assurance. “Oh no, no it’s not that… it’s just been a long time since someone… “  Tess swallowed hard, unable to finish the sentence.

She wiped her eyes and hiccuped roughly, a messy chuckle bursting from her lips.  “Don’t mind me, I’m just being silly. It’s so very thoughtful, Alan… _thank you_.”  She walked over and sat at the counter.  Wiping her face with a napkin, she smiled at him, clear and wide.

The gratitude in her eyes took him by surprise. His LED flickered from red to a solid yellow, and then, in understanding, a clear blue.

“Would you like to sit with me..?”

The faintest twitch on his lips, as he smiled at her, nodding.  

 

“Of course.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be illustrations here and there of Tess and Alan, but if anyone's curious as to how they ought to _sound_ , my brain already cast the ideal voices...
> 
> Tess's laid back, easy voice is [Gina Torres', of Firefly fame](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auF9gWaGCwo).  
> Alan's gravelly, warm voice is [Bruce Boxleitner's](https://youtu.be/pEsnllJXfrY?t=467).


	4. Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alan learns new things as he approaches his first full month with Tess, but new questions emerge...

Alan was quite content that he and Tess were getting along well.

His... _roommate_ was a little pricklier.

The Russian Blue, better known as Clancy, continually staked his claim on the bed in Alan’s room.  Initially, Alan was indifferent to the cat taking up residence on the bed, as he himself had no need of it.  But as the days passed, Alan felt a desire to avoid sticking out like a sore thumb in Tess’s day-to-day functions... to blend in, look like he “belonged.”  

And nothing stood out more than a human-looking man standing straight up in stasis at night in his room.  

Tess made the mistake once, late in the evening, while travelling downstairs to get some water.  Alan’s door wasn’t closed, and the sight of a man standing absolutely still in the darkest corner of an already dark room triggered an instinctive fear in her that was completely irrational, but also completely out of her control.

She had yelped quite loudly and sharply, immediately shocking herself out of her half-awake state and seconds later incredibly embarrassed when Alan had emerged from stasis upon hearing the scream, his yellow LED bathing the room in a tense glow which betrayed the concern in his alert eyes.

In retrospect, Tess was grateful the light in the room was so minimal, as it hid the flush of red that overwhelmed her cheeks. Alan’s sensors could pick up her elevated heart rate and quickened heartbeat, but kept silent, as he knew from analysis that mentioning those things would only serve to embarrass her further.

So... creepy standing body in the corner of the room?  Bad.

His processors provided him an easy solution; perform stasis as one might simulate sleeping in bed.  Unfortunately, Clancy wasn’t having any of that. Hisses, bent ears, and swipes when getting too close.  Alan patiently invaded Clancy’s space on the mattress little by little, earning angry _reeeeowws_ and arched warnings.  But the android similarly refused to back down.  

It was a test of wills, one that Alan intended to win.  

_Tess’s peace of mind was at stake_ , he reasoned to himself.

Ultimately, Alan won Clancy over, with a rather unconventional combination of mimicked meowing and perfect scratching just behind the cat’s neck and ears.  Clancy may not have been a belly-rubs cat, but he apparently sure as hell was a scratching-scruff cat.

Within the span of one long day, both cat and android shared residence on the same bed.  


**_Mission Accomplished._ **

The last outstanding task was finishing cleaning the second floor of the house, namely the bedrooms and bathrooms.

Alan had avoided Tess’s bedroom up to that point.  He didn’t fully understand why, but had a strange sense of apprehension about entering her room.  It’s not like he would catch her in there; during the day she was quite consistently in her office downstairs toiling away on her projects.

Still, he entered the room slowly, his eyes scanning the space, noticing the clothes and sheets strewn messily around the laundry hamper, and the unkempt queen sized bed in front of him.  A cursory scan revealed after-images of her probable positions on the bed. From the wrinkles in the sheets and the remnants of her form within them, his processes reconstructed a ghostly visage of her, curled within them.  A desperate fetal position, curled inward towards the center of the bed, and a crumpled pillow that must’ve been held tightly as she slept. The other side of the bed was untouched, minus the pillow that she had snagged from it.

A strange feeling, a pang from his chest, compelled him to approach the sheets and touch them.  Near where her face would have lain, he detected faint traces of an evaporated liquid.

**_Scanning Material Composition…_ **

**_Traces of Saline, Hormones, Enzymes…_ **

**_Estimation: Psychogenic Lacrimation._ **

 

He blinked.  

_Tears._

The pang grew unpleasantly, and suddenly, without warning, a red wall asserted itself in his vision.  His hand drew back automatically from the sheets, confused.

 

**_Access Denied._ **

 

_What?_

He didn’t understand.  Brow furrowed, Alan left the bed for the moment and gathered up the dirty clothes and other sheets, starting a load of wash in the adjacent laundry room.  When he came out, the red walls were gone.

Mind now blank, he re-made the bed and smoothed the sheets.  Satisfied with his work, he turned his attention to the large dresser on the far wall of the bedroom.  Alan systematically organized the clothes within and was dusting off the top of the dresser when he noticed a simple picture frame there.

A photo of a summer day, two people in a half embrace, open to the camera and smiling brightly.  Alan’s head tilted in recognition of Tess on the left. He estimated the picture to be only a few years old at most, as her hair rested lower on her body than usual.

The man on the right he did not recognize.

A smiling, handsome man, with pale blonde feathered hair and a lopsided grin.  His thin framed glasses reflected a light glare that almost hid his eyes, but Alan saw them.   **_Hazel._ **  He gently flipped the frame over and read the small scrawled text on the back of the photo.

_“Alan and Me!  ;) - Jun. 2035”_

A slight frown subconsciously flitted across Alan’s face.    **_Alan._ **

Beside the picture frame was a thin, dusty case.  Upon opening it, he stared at the same pair of glasses from the photo.

 

**_Analysis: Likely Husband.  Reminder: Deceased._ **

 

A host of error messages and warnings popped into Alan’s vision, warning against inquiring with Tess about the topic.

_Did she… name me after him?_  More error messages.   _Well, obviously._  He flushed the messages away unhappily.

He reached for the pair of glasses but was instantly assaulted with a red wall.

 

**_Access Denied._ **

 

Frustrated, he tried to touch the photo, but now the photo was included in the red wall’s space.

 

**_Access Denied._ **

 

**_Repeated Attempts will Trigger Software Instability._ **

 

He stepped backwards.   _But I could touch it before, why is now different…?_  

Alan stood there, unable to process his reactions.  Clancy wandered in and brushed up against Alan’s legs, murmuring a gentle “ _mreeroowww_?” of concern for the man frozen in place in front of him. He intensified his brush-up around Alan’s legs until the android blinked and tilted his head down at the insistent cat.

Ultimately, Alan abandoned the dresser and went back downstairs.

 

\-------

 

The days passed pleasantly enough now that the main house cleaning was out of the way.  Alan had more time to peruse the books and music available to him, and spent many early mornings reading in the dining area as the sun started streaming in from the large windows.

He made a point to provide Tess with a hearty breakfast at the start of the day.  Tess initially balked at this, but Alan’s gentle but firm insistence to her well-being eventually broke her down and she relented.

Amazingly, the woman and her android settled into a comfortable routine.  Breakfast, work, then tea and _more_ work, followed by dinner and either TV or a movie.  Tess was fascinated by Alan’s reaction to films, and tried to show him something new each night.  Sometimes it was an action film, sometimes a comedy, sometimes a romance flick. She noticed his LED flickered yellow the most during romantic or dramatic scenes, and wondered if they were something wholly alien to an android.

Perhaps not-so-secretly, Alan _loved_ them.

His love for them was conveyed through the multitude of questions he asked during those moments, like asking about why the girl acted passive-aggressively towards the boy rather than be upfront with him --“for the drama!” Tess would reply, amused-- or why a man would take on a T-Rex head-first to distract it so a woman could escape.  “Because he loves her, _obviously_ ,” she chuckled.   _Obviously_ , he thought to himself, LED yellow and processing.

Alan highly valued their evening movie time.

He could feel Tess’s warmth.  In the _literal_ sense, anyway; her heat signature followed the same pattern everyday, from room to room.  It increased if she watched something exciting, and it waned during cold nights. He was far too aware of it when they sat together on the couch in the evenings.  When they started, they sat almost at the ends of the couch, but as the weeks went on, their distance shrank little by little until they were practically side-by-side.  But more than that, he detected these slight peaks in heat temperature from her face whenever he smiled at her. He catalogued every one of those moments.

A strange desire from within him to elicit those peaks as much as possible rewarded him with an annoying bombardment of error messages.

 

\-------

 

Jolene came to visit on a warm Saturday.

Her eyes boggled when she stepped into Tess’s place, impressed at the makeover.

“Girl, wow!” Jolene looked around, mouth agape.  “It looks brand new or something! I know I said that line about a floor so clean _‘I could eat off it’_ sounded dumb, but I’m about ready to order some sushi and eat it off your dining room floor right about now.”

The two ladies broke into absurd giggles as they hugged.

“Hey to you too, Jo,” Tess jabbed.

“Aw you look so much better Tess, and so does your place.”  She raised her eyebrow with a smirk. “This is the part where you say _‘Oh Jolene, I never should’ve doubted you and should always listen to your awesome advice.’_ ”

“Hah!  Well, maybe just this once…”

A soft set of footsteps made its way down the stairs as Alan peeked his head around the corner.  He stood at attention, his easy smile directed at Tess’s guest. “Oh, we have company? Tess, should I prepare something…?”

Jolene stared as she eyed Alan thoroughly and looked at Tess with a raunchy grin.  “Oh girl, You didn’t tell me th--” Jolene was cut off as Tess abruptly pushed her past Alan and towards the dining room.

“This is Jolene, we’ll just be chatting in the other room!”

“Do you need anything? Maybe a--”

Tess waved him away gently.  “We’re fine Alan, why don’t you find something fun to do?”

Jolene’s eyes widened at his name, her behavior not lost on Alan.  He glanced outside. “I have not yet explored our options with the backyard.  I’ll go and evaluate. It’s nice to meet you Jolene.” Excusing himself, he deftly slipped past the doorway and out of sight.

Jolene managed to pause for a moment, waiting until Alan was definitely out of the house.

“ **_‘Alan?’_ ** ” Tess tried to avoid Jolene’s concerned frown.

Tess brought two hot cups of tea and set them on the table.  “Yeah, yeah,” she murmured, “it was a moment of weakness.” She sat with a flop as her curls bounced along with her.  “I was in a bad way, and he had his _eyes_ , y’know?  I wasn’t thinking and it was the first name in my head and--”

Jolene squeezed Tess’s hand.  “Hey, **_hey_**... it’s okay, it was just a surprise, all right?”  She sat back, clearly avoiding chiding her and instead smiling sympathetically.  “It definitely seems like a good choice though. For you especially; you look good, Tess.”  She looked over her shoulder out the window, as Alan was sifting through gardening materials in the backyard.  “I mean,” she chuckled, “ **it** sure looks good! Hahaha! What model is it, anyways?”

Tess blinked, having to actually think for a moment.  “He’s an AP700, supposed to be top of the line, I think?”

Jolene raised an eyebrow slightly.  “ **_‘He,’_ ** huh?  Don’t really hear a lot of people call their android anything other than “it” these days.”

Tess frowned, her friend’s words sinking in slowly.   _I_ **_did_ ** _call him “he,” didn’t I?  I didn’t always… but now I can’t think of him_ **_without_ ** _calling him he…_ When did that happen? *****

“Yeah,” she mused.  She noticed Alan was trying to catch her attention outside as he motioned to a bag of bird feed and raising his brows in question, to which she smiled and nodded to him.  He beamed his warm grin in acknowledgement and turned back to his work. Tess smiled. “I guess I sound crazy, but I can’t see him any other way.”

Jolene looked back and forth as Tess and Alan gazed at each other and sighed, grinning.  “Well you deserve to enjoy a little fun anyway. What’d you say _he_ was, an AP700?  Are they one of those ones that… *cough* have a little somethin’ down there?”

Tess nearly snorted her hot tea through her nose and coughed mightily for a couple seconds as Jolene laughed but patted Tess’s back in an attempt to stem the tide of hot liquid from her friend’s lungs.

“Jolene!!” Tess sputtered, “That’s not what’s going on here!” Wet coughs subsiding, Tess’s face remained a beet red.  “I hadn’t even looked into if he …*cough-cough* … is _packing_ or not, come **on**! It’s not like that...”

Her friend giggled low and mischievous.  “Sorry Tess, I couldn’t help it. You know they got that club over by Eddie’s place that… caters to that kinda thing, right?”

“Yeah, I’ve heard about it, but that’s just gross.” Tess quieted a bit, glancing down at her fingers absently running across her tea mug.  “I know they’re androids, but still… it feels wrong to just use them, y’know?” She looked back at Jolene. “I see people parking them when they shop or pushing them around… I don’t know why… I know they’re not actually _people_ , but it just feels…”  She frowned deeply, jaw set.  “ _Wrong_.”

Jolene smiled gently.  “You always were too kind, Tess,” she mock-chided her.  “But a man could be a bucket of bolts so long as he treats you right.  Kindness sure is hard to come by these days,” she mumbled as she took a deep sip.

A few quiet minutes passed between the two women as they drank their tea and watched the calm sunny day outside the large dining room windows.  Alan had found what appeared to be a bird feeder kit and had set about constructing it, sticking the wooden stake of the feeder into the ground.  Opening the top of the feeder, he precisely poured from a large bag of seed and filled it, closing it with a clatter. His work slowly attracted the notice of several local birds, several chickadees and a singular robin, as well as a young squirrel.  Tilting his head slightly, Alan dipped his hands into the bag and took out two hearty handfuls of seed, smoothly moving to sit cross-legged on the lawn.

Alan slowed his simulated breathing to minimum levels as he extended his full hands out and waited with the rigidity and patience only an android could match.  The birds warily swooped in close, their heads cocked and twisting as they appraised the situation… but eventually they made their dainty hops toward Alan’s seated form.  With a gentle fluttering of wings, the chickadees rested themselves atop his fingers and began pecking away at the seed, the Robin eventually joining in but planting itself on his wrist.  The squirrel, not wanting to miss out on the food, scampered up Alan’s side and pocketed a large mouthful of seeds and skittered around Alan’s shoulders to rest there and chew his lunch.

Tess and Jolene marveled at the scene.  Alan’s blank expression softened as the animals ate, his lips pursing ever so slightly and curling up into a pure smile.

“Oh my god,” Jolene said, “look at that.”

A warm heat threatened to work its way up her to her cheeks as she watched the quiet man surrounded by his new furry friends.   _He’s just an android,_ she reminded herself... but in that moment, he looked _so happy._  As if he could sense her blush, Alan turned slowly to share his smile with her.

 

 

“Girl, you got yourself a regular **_Disney prince_ **.”

Tess felt a small pang in her chest, confusing and tight, but lingering all the same.

…

_He_ **_is_ ** _just an android..._

 

_… right?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Tess isn't the only one who started calling Alan "he" instead of "it", Dear Reader... The story changed it too! Did you spot when it happened...? :)
> 
>  
> 
> \-- Also a side note, sorry for the long break between chapters! I was stuck working overtime but now I'm hopefully back to a more regular schedule *crosses fingers*


End file.
